카리타스 영성적 실천에서 재구성된 레비나스의 타자 윤리: 지속가능한 사랑실천을 위한 통합적 해석

Abstract

This study aims to explore the theoretical foundations and practical emphases shared by Emmanuel Levinas’s ethics of the Other and caritas spirituality and practice, and to examine the potential for developing a sustainable caritas practice in contemporary social welfare through the ethical practice centered on the Other. To this end, the study examined Emmanuel Levinas’s theoretical framework, explored the biblical parable of the Good Samaritan and a practical case that embodied its message, and analyzed a case of Catholic social welfare practice using qualitative content analysis. The findings indicate that both Levinas’s ethics of the Other and caritas-inspired spiritual practice place ethical responsibility for the suffering of the Other at their core. They share common emphases on recognizing human uniqueness and dignity, as well as on transcendent values such as vocation, dedication, mission, and spirituality. Levinas highlights the way in which the face of the Other summons the self beyond egocentrism, calling it to unconditional and absolute ethical responsibility. By contrast, Catholic social welfare practice manifests caritas as a response to God’s love through concrete love of neighbor, with practitioners sustaining the continuity of their practice through communal prayer, self-reflection, and renewed awareness of their mission. By integrating these perspectives, this study provides a theoretical foundation for reflecting on the convergence of Other-centered ethics and caritas practice in modern social welfare, thereby contributing to an academic expansion of their ethical significance and practical implications.